Coastal Villages’ Louis Bunyan Memorial Scholarship Program has been in existence for more than 20 years and has provided millions of dollars to hundreds of CVRF community residents. The upcoming Fall 2014 scholarship deadline for applications will be June 2 and CVRF plans to provide up to $500,000 in scholarships this year.

“I am proud to be a resident of Napaskiak and to have received a scholarship from CVRF this semester and previous semesters as well,” said UAA student Francis Nicholai. “However, our villages are growing rapidly in population, the cost of education is skyrocketing and I see first-hand the need for our CDQ allocations to be fixed. We need and deserve a fair share of CDQ. CVRF’s help makes it so much easier to attend college. Having the CDQs fixed will mean a lot to our future generations. Quyana.”

“The total amount requested from the applicants was just over $490,000 for the spring semester,” said CVRF Program Specialist Marlene Minnette. “The financial need of our residents is undeniably significant. We recently restructured our award system to provide awards more evenly to recipients based on their performance.”

“The late Louis Bunyan of Hooper Bay (1935-1991) is remembered for his involvement in the creation of the CDQ program,” said CVRF Board Member Eric Olson Sr. of Hooper Bay. “We are proud to have memorialized his legacy through Coastal Villages’ Louis Bunyan Memorial Scholarship Program.”

Having earned a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work from UAF, Florence (Nukusuk) Kargi, originally from Hooper Bay, now works for CVRF as a Communications and Programs Coordinator. “The scholarships I received from CVRF, AVCP, Calista, UUI, UA Scholars Programs, AVEC, Clement Smart Memorial Scholarship & other funding sources over the years made it possible for me to attend and graduate from college, and it helped me secure a full-time job,” said Florence Kargi. “I want everyone, particularly the younger generation, to know that if I can graduate from a university, so can they.”

“Providing for our future generations through LBMS and our many other programs is a fundamental goal of the CDQ Program,” said CVRF Board President Paul Tulik. “We are proud to lead the CDQ groups in giving back to residents, but we could do so much more once the CDQ allocations are fixed and fair.”

Residents who wish to apply for the Fall 2014 scholarship can contact their local CVRF representative, the CVRF main office at 1-888-795-5151 or email us at scholarships@coastalvillages.org. CVRF is planning on moving to an online application system this spring but will still accept printed applications until the online version is available. Residents who wish to apply will first need to verify their residency online at http://workfishhope.coastalvillages.org.

CVRF is a 501(c)(4) Alaska non-profit corporation whose 20 member villages are along the west coast of Alaska from Scammon Bay to Platinum. CVRF is believed to be the largest Alaskan-owned seafood company in history and is governed by a 20-member Board of Directors elected by the residents of its 20 member communities. CVRF is dedicated to providing economic development in its 20 member communities by creating sensible, tangible and long-term opportunities that generate Hope for residents who want to Fish and Work. CVRF is the largest jobs provider in its member villages and is the first CDQ group to own and control the vessels that harvest its CDQ allocations. For more information, visit www.coastalvillages.org or contact Florence Kargi at 907-278-5151. Please visit CVRF’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/CoastalVillagesRegionFund and Coastal’s Twitter page at www.twitter.com/CoastalVillages